Pocono Township Supervisor Harold Werkheiser has asked to be paid as a full-time employee for his township position of assistant secretary/treasurer, according to a letter written to the township.

But the township's Board of Auditors, which sets the salaries, decided Tuesday to temporarily hold off on Werkheiser's request and on setting other pay rates. Instead, auditors will seek a lawyer to guide their next move, according to board officials.

"It used to be simpler, we would give two salaries and that would be it," said Pat Ross, a member of the board and a former township supervisor. "Like a lot of things today, it's more complicated. We need an attorney to advise us on what we have the power to do."

The three-person board of auditors meets once a year and sets compensation rates for supervisors, including the salaried positions of supervisors working for the township.

Supervisors suggest the salaries; the auditors are the final say on their approval.

The auditors initially approved the salary of Supervisor Frank Hess in his position of township secretary/treasurer, but rescinded the motion when they decided to retain a lawyer, Ross said.

That was after attorney Jennifer Wise, speaking for Werkheiser, made the argument that Werkheiser deserves to be paid as a full-time employee with benefits in his appointed position of assistant secretary/treasurer.

Werkheiser held the same position in 2012, but didn't take a full-time salary since he already was being paid as the full-time director of public works, a nine-person department in charge of maintaining the 78 miles of road in the township.

That situation changed Monday when Supervisor Henry Bengel took over Werkheiser's former position, despite Bengel's lack of mechanical experience and his previous promise that he was not interested in a full-time township position.

Werkheiser instead was appointed as the township's assistant secretary/treasurer, currently budgeted as a part-time position with no benefits.

Wise argued Tuesday that before Werkheiser took the assistant secretary/treasurer job in 2012, Supervisor Frank Hess held the job in 2011 as a full-time, salaried job of more than $17 per hour.

She argued that Werkheiser should receive at least the same compensation Hess received, citing the state's township code.

Wise also wrote to the auditors that Werkheiser should continue to receive health and pension benefits in the assistant secretary/treasurer position. Werkheiser declined comment Wednesday.

The auditors never broached the subject of the requested salary of Bengel in his new position.

Bengel requested a salary of $72,000, without benefits. Werkheiser made about $48,000 per year, but when benefits were factored in, the position cost about $78,000, township officials said.